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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bulb — for light
  5. snap — to click
  6. court — for sport
  7. staff — a stick
  8. track — to keep track
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — a song
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. court — of a king
  15. pass — a permit
  16. staff — employees
  17. bulb — for light
  18. track — a path
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. court — of law
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bat — the animal

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