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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. club — for golf
  11. pop — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. club — a group
  14. rest — a break
  15. cell — a phone
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bank — for money
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rest — what's left
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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