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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.

Words on the sheet
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: cell · bass · mouse · racket · fine · roll · drill · sharp

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cell — in biology
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — low music
  6. drill — army training
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fine — high quality
  20. drill — the tool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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