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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cell — in biology
  10. ball — a dance
  11. content — happy
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. charge — in control
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. content — the amount
  24. charge — a price

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