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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cue — for pool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — letters
  8. rock — music
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. spell — magic
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spell — a short time
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — a tin
  23. cue — a signal
  24. foot — the bottom

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