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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. band — a ring
  8. squash — to crush
  9. firm — steady
  10. clip — a video
  11. track — to keep track
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. clip — to cut
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. lie — to recline
  20. track — a song
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. band — a music group
  23. track — a path
  24. racket — for tennis

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