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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · cell · rest · kick · racket · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kick — in football
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rest — what's left
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. toast — bread
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rest — a break
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ball — a dance

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