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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pit — in a race
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rash — a series
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rash — hasty
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. plane — a tool
  20. key — in music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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