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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 120 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: fine · pop · cell · bowl · chest · kid · firm · object

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cell — in biology
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. object — an aim
  12. firm — steady
  13. fine — all right
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. firm — decided
  17. pop — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. chest — a box
  20. kid — child
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — to protest

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