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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. squash — the sport
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. degree — from a university
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fine — all right
  14. degree — an amount
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cell — a phone
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. band — a music group

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