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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. game — a match
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ground — a position
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fall — the season
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a great time
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fall — to drop
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. can — a tin

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