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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. swing — in golf
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. present — a gift
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cell — in biology
  11. present — there
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cap — a lid
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. branch — a division
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. present — the time now
  24. cell — in a prison

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