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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. board — to get on
  7. toast — bread
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. kid — child
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. net — after costs
  14. ball — a dance
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a great time
  17. net — in sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. board — a committee
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. calf — of the leg

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