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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. bear — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — completely
  9. present — there
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. present — the time now
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ground — a position
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. nail — for a hammer

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