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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitch — completely
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mate — a partner
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bound — certain

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