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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. swing — to play on
  3. season — in sport
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. swing — in golf
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bulb — for light
  20. swing — music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — of the year
  24. lash — an eyelash

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