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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wake — a trail
  5. hand — help
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — a measure
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. club — a group
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hand — in cards
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. club — for golf
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. club — for dancing

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