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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ball — a great time
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ball — a round shape

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