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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: rest · ball · bound · cabinet · scale · fan · racket · lie

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rest — a break
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — tied together
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — in music
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ball — a dance
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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