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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 120 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tube — the underground
  4. hand — in cards
  5. object — an aim
  6. tube — a container
  7. swing — in golf
  8. court — for sport
  9. ball — a great time
  10. scale — in music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. swing — music
  14. object — a thing
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hand — help
  17. object — to protest
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — size or range
  20. court — of law
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ball — a dance
  23. court — of a king
  24. hand — part of the body

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