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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. march — the month
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. season — in sport
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — the month
  14. hand — in cards
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. march — music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. pound — a weight
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hand — help

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