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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. can — a tin
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. clip — a video
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. charge — electricity
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cell — in biology
  16. charge — in control
  17. squash — to crush
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. squash — the sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — a price
  24. can — a tin

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