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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cap — of ice
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — the time now
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. present — a gift
  8. game — a match
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cell — in biology
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cell — a phone
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. ball — a great time
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. game — wild animals

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