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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: mouse · ball · track · cell · club · cap · bay · bound

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cell — a phone
  3. track — to keep track
  4. club — a group
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bound — certain
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cell — in biology
  11. track — a song
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. club — for golf
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ball — a great time
  24. track — a path

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