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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. board — to get on
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. court — for sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pop — music
  12. board — a committee
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. court — of a king
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pop — to visit
  21. spell — letters
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — soda
  24. wound — an injury

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