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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rest — a break
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. court — of a king
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. court — of law
  24. plane — an aircraft

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