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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. file — a document
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stock — shares
  8. ground — crushed
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pop — to visit
  11. ground — a position
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ground — the earth
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pop — soda
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. file — a tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stock — goods
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pop — music

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