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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. net — in sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — money
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. net — after costs
  10. content — happy
  11. chair — a leader
  12. capital — a city
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cue — a signal
  16. content — the amount
  17. cue — for pool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. net — for catching
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cue — a hint

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