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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — of ice
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rock — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — goods
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — for digging
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — shares
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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