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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. capital — a city
  8. charge — electricity
  9. suit — clothes
  10. charge — a price
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. charge — in control
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. capital — money

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