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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — a phone
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — the fish
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ground — crushed
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. craft — boats
  16. bass — low music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ground — the earth
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ground — a position
  24. bass — the instrument

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