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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cell — in biology
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. race — humankind
  7. net — after costs
  8. object — to protest
  9. ball — a dance
  10. object — a thing
  11. race — a contest
  12. object — an aim
  13. net — for catching
  14. suit — in cards
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — in sport
  17. deal — to handle
  18. race — the arms race
  19. suit — to fit
  20. season — of the year
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cell — a phone
  24. season — in 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