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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: ball · bear · cell · firm · bowl · foot · bat · rush

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ball — a dance
  8. firm — decided
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. firm — a company
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. firm — steady
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ball — a great time
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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