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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. firm — a company
  3. cell — a phone
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — to tire
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a ring
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bore — to drill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. firm — steady
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. band — a music group
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — a match
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. firm — decided

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