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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bat — the animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. present — the time now
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — to get on
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. board — a committee
  10. last — final
  11. present — there
  12. pop — to visit
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — soda
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — to go on
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — a gift
  22. pop — music
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. last — finally

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