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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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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: game · bowl · staff · cell · present · wave · content · ball

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. content — the amount
  5. present — the time now
  6. content — happy
  7. present — a gift
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. present — there
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ball — a dance
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. staff — employees
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. staff — employees

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