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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 116 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 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. swing — music
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — for betting
  11. game — a match
  12. net — for catching
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — to eat
  17. net — after costs
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cell — a phone
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. net — in sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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