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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. chip — to eat
  6. drill — army training
  7. chip — for betting
  8. can — a tin
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. cell — in biology
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — of law
  17. drill — a practice
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. can — to be able to
  21. drill — the tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cell — a phone
  24. roll — a list

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