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

Word bank: pass · race · perch · cabinet · deal · ball · cell · season

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pass — a permit
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. season — of the year
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. race — a contest
  9. ball — a great time
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cell — in biology
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. race — humankind
  24. perch — for a bird

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