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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stock — shares
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. stock — goods
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — a phone
  14. season — in sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cue — a hint

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