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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spell · tube · ground · leaves · scale · hand · racket

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. scale — in music
  12. spell — magic
  13. scale — size or range
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ground — the earth
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. tube — a container
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ground — a position
  21. cell — a phone
  22. spell — letters
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hand — help

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