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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: mine · racket · bank · hide · stick · tube · pop · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mine — for digging
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bank — for money
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — a container
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bank — of a river
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — an explosive

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