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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. content — the amount
  8. sharp — clever
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lie — to recline
  13. field — a subject
  14. content — happy
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. charge — a price
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — to handle
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. charge — in control

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