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

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. branch — a division
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cell — in biology
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — wild animals
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cell — a phone
  20. game — a match
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — part of the body

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