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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bass — the fish
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — government
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. deal — to handle
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. content — happy
  23. rule — a law
  24. pitch — a sports field

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