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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bass — low music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. march — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. march — the month
  8. track — a path
  9. march — the month
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. season — of the year
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mate — a partner
  22. track — a song
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — to recline

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