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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 · deal · mate · tear · bank · racket · roll · bound

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bank — of a river
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. roll — a cake
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — a container
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bound — obliged
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bank — for money
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — certain

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