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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.

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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: kid · foot · arm · cue · pound · straw · racket · tube

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pound — a weight
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cue — a hint
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. foot — a measure
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. kid — child
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. tube — a container

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