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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — after costs
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. band — a ring
  13. net — in sport
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitch — completely
  17. date — the fruit
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — in biology
  21. scale — in music
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. scale — size or range

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