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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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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: cell · club · cabinet · perch · sharp · bank · net · racket

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — of a river
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. perch — the fish
  7. net — after costs
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. club — a group
  11. bank — for money
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — for catching
  15. cell — in biology
  16. net — in sport
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — a loud noise

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