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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — to get on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fall — the season
  7. net — in sport
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bank — for money
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — of a river
  15. net — after costs
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — to trim
  20. net — for catching
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. board — a committee
  24. racket — a loud noise

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