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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 124 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lie — to recline
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. game — a match
  24. bowl — a dish

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