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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. net — after costs
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. game — a match
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. date — the fruit
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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