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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: stand · cell · spring · ball · mouse · deal · fine · race

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cell — in biology
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spring — the season
  14. race — humankind
  15. fine — all right
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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