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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · hide · object · jam · pass · last · cell · land

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. object — a thing
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cell — a phone
  6. last — final
  7. land — to come down
  8. last — finally
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ball — a great time
  15. object — to protest
  16. land — a country
  17. cell — in biology
  18. object — an aim
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ball — a dance
  24. jam — in traffic

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