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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: mine · can · ball · bay · game · pit · squash · cell

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cell — in biology
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cell — a phone
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. ball — a dance
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mine — an explosive

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