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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mine — for digging
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. season — in sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pop — music
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — to recline
  16. season — of the year
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rule — a law
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pop — to visit

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