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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: racket · bound · cue · tube · net · cap · cell · prune

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cap — a lid
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cell — in biology
  5. tube — a container
  6. bound — certain
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cue — a signal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cap — a hat
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bound — obliged
  20. prune — to trim
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — in a tire

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