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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. object — to protest
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mate — a partner
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ball — a dance
  13. object — an aim
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cue — for pool
  16. object — a thing
  17. cell — a phone
  18. track — a path
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cabinet — ministers

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