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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ground — a position
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. key — in music
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cell — a phone
  16. band — a music group
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. ball — a great time
  21. band — a ring
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cell — in biology

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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