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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. season — of the year
  10. pop — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ground — crushed
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — the animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. ground — the earth
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ground — a position
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — soda
  24. key — the most important part

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