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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bass — low music
  3. mate — a friend
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cell — in biology
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mate — a partner
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. hand — help
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cell — a phone

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