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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — a series
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bass — low music
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bass — the fish
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lie — to recline
  20. board — to get on
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. board — a committee
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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