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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bat — the animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. cap — a hat
  11. present — there
  12. cap — of ice
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ball — a dance
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cap — a lid
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bat — for baseball

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