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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 on a ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pop — soda
  5. court — of law
  6. mate — a friend
  7. court — of a king
  8. net — for catching
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. net — after costs
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. net — in sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pop — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — thin
  24. court — for sport

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