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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ground — the earth
  3. court — of law
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. object — an aim
  8. board — to get on
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — to protest
  12. snap — to click
  13. object — a thing
  14. court — for sport
  15. present — the time now
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. ground — crushed
  22. board — a committee
  23. court — of a king
  24. ground — a position

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