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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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cell — in biology
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cell — a phone
  6. present — a gift
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pop — soda
  9. staff — employees
  10. pop — music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. present — there
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — the time now
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — in a road
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pop — to visit
  22. staff — a stick
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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