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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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468
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: cabinet · chest · safe · bat · rock · cue · racket · plane

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bat — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. plane — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rock — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chest — a box
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cue — for pool

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