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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — of a king
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bound — tied together
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a great time
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of law
  17. game — a match
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bound — certain
  23. court — for sport
  24. bay — a horse colour

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