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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rock — a stone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rash — a series
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rock — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ball — a dance
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. squash — the vegetable

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