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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cell — in biology
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. season — in sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ball — a dance
  15. board — a committee
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — a weight
  18. board — to get on
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. cell — a phone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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