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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. roll — a list
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bass — low music
  10. court — of a king
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. present — the time now
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. present — a gift
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of law
  19. present — there
  20. court — for sport
  21. cue — a hint
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pop — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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