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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pop — soda
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chair — a leader
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spell — letters
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ball — a dance

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