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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. bound — tied together
  5. craft — boats
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. degree — an amount
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bound — obliged
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cell — in biology
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stem — a stem cell

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