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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: racket · bowl · present · fan · bay · staff · bat · last

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. present — there
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. present — the time now
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — to go on
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. last — final
  20. present — a gift
  21. last — finally
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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