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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. track — to keep track
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. club — a group
  11. court — of a king
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. track — a path
  15. tear — from crying
  16. club — for golf
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. court — for sport
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. track — a song
  24. court — of law

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