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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ball — a dance
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cell — a phone
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. net — after costs
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rock — a stone
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. net — for catching
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. kick — in football
  14. band — a ring
  15. ball — a great time
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — in sport
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. band — a music group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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