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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: bore · bat · bank · racket · stick · tube · bass · spring

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bat — the animal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spring — the season
  14. tube — a container
  15. spring — of water
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bass — low music
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — a coil
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to 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