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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mate — a friend
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitch — completely
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. patient — a sick person

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