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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · racket · cell · leaves · cabinet · net · track · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — after costs
  8. track — to keep track
  9. sharp — clever
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. net — for catching
  12. club — for dancing
  13. track — a path
  14. club — a group
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. track — a song
  20. net — in sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cell — in biology
  24. sharp — exactly

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