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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tube — a container
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. content — happy
  6. field — for sport
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. scale — size or range
  10. field — farmland
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. field — a subject
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. scale — in music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cap — a hat
  21. land — ground
  22. cap — of ice
  23. tube — the underground
  24. content — the amount

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