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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fine — high quality
  4. net — after costs
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a dance
  14. net — for catching
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. net — in sport
  19. ground — a position
  20. court — of a king
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ruler — a monarch

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