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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — wild animals
  4. can — a tin
  5. cell — a phone
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. plane — a tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kick — in football
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. swing — to play on
  13. game — a match
  14. swing — music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. scale — in music
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. date — the fruit
  21. can — to be able to
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. scale — size or range
  24. date — on the calendar

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