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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ground — a position
  3. present — the time now
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. can — a tin
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. present — there
  16. ground — the earth
  17. present — a gift
  18. can — to be able to
  19. content — the amount
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ground — crushed
  22. content — happy
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. leaves — of a tree

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