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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cell — a phone
  4. band — a music group
  5. fine — all right
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fine — high quality
  9. band — a ring
  10. ball — a dance
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mate — a friend
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. ball — a great time
  17. content — happy
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mate — to breed
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. content — the amount
  24. ball — a round shape

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