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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · object · cue · mouse · tube · deal · straw · date

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. net — for catching
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. object — to protest
  7. net — after costs
  8. object — a thing
  9. cue — for pool
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. net — in sport
  12. date — the fruit
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cue — a signal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. object — an aim
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — a hint

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