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

Word bank: stand · cell · net · club · lean · pit · spring · racket

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. net — in sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spring — of water
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lean — thin
  9. club — a group
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for dancing
  15. net — for catching
  16. spring — the season
  17. net — after costs
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cell — in biology
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. club — for golf

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