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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. season — in sport
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pop — soda
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cap — a hat
  14. plane — a tool
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. snap — to click
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — music
  22. ball — a dance
  23. season — of the year
  24. racket — a loud noise

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