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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bat — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — for money
  9. snap — to click
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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