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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 116 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
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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: ball · pop · straw · cell · racket · rush · mate · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cell — a phone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a dance
  24. cell — in a prison

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