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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · board · cell · mouse · tear · game · ball · can

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. board — to get on
  6. present — the time now
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. present — a gift
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. tear — from crying
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. present — there
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cell — in biology
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ball — a great time
  22. board — a committee
  23. game — a match
  24. ball — a dance

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