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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cell — in biology
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cell — a phone
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. suit — clothes
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. drill — army training
  15. suit — to fit
  16. present — the time now
  17. track — a path
  18. date — the fruit
  19. track — a song
  20. present — there
  21. drill — the tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. present — a gift

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