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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. band — a music group
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cue — a signal
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. band — a ring
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ball — a dance
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. file — a tool
  16. present — there
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cell — in biology
  19. file — a document
  20. cue — a hint
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cell — a phone

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