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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. season — of the year
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cell — a phone
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cell — in biology
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fork — in a road
  12. season — in sport
  13. ball — a dance
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fine — all right
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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