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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cell — in biology
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — a match
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a dance
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. net — for catching
  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