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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. track — a song
  3. staff — a stick
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — a path
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bass — low music
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a great time
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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