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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · kid · staff · mouse · bowl · firm · stick · racket

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — employees
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. tube — a container
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. firm — a company
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kid — to tease
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kid — child
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com