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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. court — for sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pop — to visit
  10. court — of law
  11. can — a tin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. court — of a king
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — to be able to

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