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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. degree — an amount
  4. swing — to play on
  5. degree — temperature
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. swing — music
  10. rock — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. object — an aim
  14. rule — government
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. object — a thing
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rock — a stone
  19. object — to protest
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rock — to move gently

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