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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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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: band · snap · net · wind · racket · cell · cabinet · mark

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. net — in sport
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. band — a music group
  14. cell — a phone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wind — moving air
  17. snap — to click
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a ring
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mark — a trace

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