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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rock — a stone
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. game — wild animals
  8. track — a song
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a match
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. track — a path
  16. rock — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. can — to be able to
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. squash — to crush
  24. court — of law

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