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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: pound · mate · chest · rock · racket · cell

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mate — a friend
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. chest — of your body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cell — a phone

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