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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. club — a group
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mark — a grade
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. foot — a measure
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — in biology
  15. club — for dancing
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — there
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. club — for golf
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. present — the time now
  24. mate — a friend

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