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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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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: rule · pop · net · bear · cabinet · nail · straw · racket

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. net — in sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. net — after costs
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — soda
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — government
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — a law
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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