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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 120 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: content · racket · net · straw · staff · cap · fine · deal

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cap — of ice
  3. net — in sport
  4. content — happy
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. net — after costs
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — for catching
  13. cap — a lid
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. content — the amount
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. staff — employees
  18. deal — to handle
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fine — all right
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fine — high quality
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — a big deal

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