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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 116 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: bass · racket · cell · chair · ball · perch · tube · pound

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. tube — a container
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cell — in biology
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ball — a dance
  12. perch — the fish
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cell — a phone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pound — for dogs

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