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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.

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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rash — a series
  4. ball — a dance
  5. object — a thing
  6. season — of the year
  7. cell — in biology
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. field — farmland
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. field — a subject
  16. fine — all right
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. object — an aim
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. field — for sport

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