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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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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: foot · tube · cell · clip · rock · racket · pop · arm

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — a stone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pop — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. foot — a measure
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. clip — a video
  20. rock — music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. clip — to cut

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