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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. club — for golf
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. club — a group
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. staff — employees
  19. cell — in biology
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — for dancing
  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