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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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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: cell · roll · cue · deal · lash · nail · racket · net

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. roll — a cake
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. deal — to handle
  5. net — after costs
  6. cell — in biology
  7. net — in sport
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. net — for catching
  22. roll — a list
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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