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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: pound · tube · toast · stem · rush · ball · racket · arm

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stem — to come from
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tube — a container
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. toast — bread
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stem — a stem cell

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