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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a great time
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bank — for money
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. squash — to crush
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bass — low music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fan — a supporter

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