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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ball — a dance
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. deal — an agreement

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