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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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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mate — a friend
  8. prune — to trim
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mark — a trace
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rest — a break
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cell — a phone
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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