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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. object — a thing
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. row — a line
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. row — to paddle
  9. object — an aim
  10. ball — a dance
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. drill — a practice
  14. object — to protest
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. roll — a list
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cell — in biology
  19. drill — army training
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. squash — the sport
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a great time

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