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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. cell — in biology
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bat — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a song
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a path
  17. board — to get on
  18. charge — in control
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. cell — a phone
  22. track — to keep track
  23. field — for sport
  24. arm — a part of something

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