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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ball — a dance
  7. drill — army training
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rule — government
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ground — a position
  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