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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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. ball — a round shape
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bound — certain
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ball — a great time
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mark — a grade
  13. press — newspapers
  14. degree — from a university
  15. press — to push
  16. suit — clothes
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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