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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. game — a match
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mug — a face
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kick — in football
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fan — to cool the air

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