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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lie — to recline
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — the fish
  7. deal — to handle
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitch — completely
  10. net — in sport
  11. pop — to visit
  12. toast — bread
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pop — soda
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pop — music
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ball — a great time
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — an untruth

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