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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: mug · squash · racket · perch · court · cell · staff · bowl

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cell — a phone
  5. court — of a king
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. court — of law
  10. mug — a face
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mug — to rob
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cell — in biology
  20. court — for sport
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. racket — for tennis

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