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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — clever
  3. club — a group
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bank — for money
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. game — wild animals
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. game — a match
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bank — for money
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. game — a kind of play

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