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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: roll · wake · hand · stand · tube · ground · racket · safe

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. hand — help
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tube — the underground
  10. roll — a cake
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ground — a position
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ground — the earth
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — a container
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hand — in cards
  24. roll — a list

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