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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. net — after costs
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cell — in biology
  5. chest — of your body
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. track — a song
  11. net — for catching
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chest — a box
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cell — a phone
  19. track — a path
  20. net — in sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ball — a great time

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