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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. suit — clothes
  6. drill — army training
  7. suit — to fit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — the tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — in music
  16. mate — a partner
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mug — a face
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cell — in a prison

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