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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: bear · craft · staff · wake · club · tube · racket · nail

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. staff — employees
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — a stick
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for golf
  7. tube — the underground
  8. club — a group
  9. craft — a skill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. club — for dancing
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. staff — employees
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tube — a container
  21. craft — boats
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bear — the animal
  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