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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. season — of the year
  3. current — of water
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — happening now
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. club — a group
  8. spell — letters
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pitch — completely
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. club — for golf
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spell — magic
  23. club — for dancing
  24. current — electric

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