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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: can · racket · straw · mouse · club · tube · cabinet · branch

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — for dancing
  5. tube — a container
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. club — a group
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tube — the underground
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for golf
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. straw — a straw man

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