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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bank — of a river
  9. land — a country
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. staff — employees
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — ground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. land — to come down
  24. bowl — a football final

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