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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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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: mark · saw · racket · deal · game · cell · march · rock

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cell — in biology
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. march — music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. deal — to handle
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — a stone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — music
  15. game — a match
  16. mark — a trace
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. march — the month
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rock — to move gently

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