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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rock — a stone
  6. can — to be able to
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — music
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chair — a leader
  18. can — a tin
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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