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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 116 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. content — the amount
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. content — happy
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cap — a hat

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