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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: content · scale · racket · chest · present · bank · mug · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — of a river
  3. present — the time now
  4. chest — of your body
  5. content — happy
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. cell — in biology
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — a face
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. content — the amount
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. chest — of your body
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chest — a box

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