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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cell — a phone
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. court — of law
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — for sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — in music
  16. court — of a king
  17. march — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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