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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. net — for catching
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. suit — to fit
  18. net — after costs
  19. suit — in cards
  20. net — in sport
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cell — a phone
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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