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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stock — goods
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. stock — shares
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wound — an injury

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