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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cap — a lid
  3. track — a path
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ball — a dance
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ground — a position
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pop — music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pop — soda
  21. track — a song
  22. suit — in cards
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pop — to visit

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