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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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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: fine · ball · racket · staff · hand · wave · club · cell

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. club — for dancing
  5. staff — employees
  6. club — a group
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cell — in biology
  14. hand — help
  15. cell — a phone
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. club — for golf
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. staff — employees

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