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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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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: roll · cell · deal · racket · cabinet · bass · game · perch

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. roll — a cake
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. roll — a list
  15. deal — to handle
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bass — low music
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cell — in a prison

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