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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. roll — a list
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. scale — in music
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ball — a dance
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. scale — size or range

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