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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ball — a great time
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. season — in sport
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — a committee
  12. degree — temperature
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. board — to get on
  20. pop — soda
  21. net — in sport
  22. degree — from a university
  23. net — after costs
  24. degree — an amount

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