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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. ground — a position
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. suit — clothes
  5. track — a song
  6. cue — for pool
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cell — a phone
  9. season — in sport
  10. track — a path
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mug — a face
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. season — of the year
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rash — a series
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cell — in biology

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