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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — to drill
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rest — a break
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bass — the fish
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for golf
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. club — a group
  18. scale — in music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bass — low music
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bore — gave birth

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