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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rock — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — a country
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — a city
  9. court — of a king
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. land — to come down
  18. court — of law
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. court — for sport
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lie — an untruth

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