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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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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: mug · bowl · fine · cell · court · lie · toast · race

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. court — of law
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cell — a phone
  6. court — for sport
  7. toast — bread
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mug — a face
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — the arms race
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. race — humankind
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. court — of a king
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. race — a contest
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fine — all right

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