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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: chair · cell · racket · key · root · nail · content · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. cell — in a prison
  3. content — happy
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. root — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cell — a phone
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cell — in biology
  13. root — of a word
  14. key — in music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. root — the cause
  21. content — the amount
  22. key — the most important part
  23. racket — for tennis
  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