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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hand — help
  8. bass — low music
  9. kick — in football
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cell — a phone
  14. staff — employees
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. staff — a stick
  22. hand — in cards
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — the fish

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