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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. suit — to fit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. roll — a cake
  6. toast — bread
  7. roll — a list
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. spring — the season
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cell — in biology
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cell — a phone
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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