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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. court — of law
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. court — of a king
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — the fruit
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. squash — the sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. court — for sport
  24. rule — government

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