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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. shower — rain
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fine — high quality
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitch — completely
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. hand — in cards

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