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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. content — the amount
  3. last — to go on
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. last — final
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — a lid
  9. object — an aim
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rock — music
  12. ball — a dance
  13. object — a thing
  14. lie — to recline
  15. object — to protest
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — finally
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ball — a great time
  24. content — happy

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