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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — in sport
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pop — music
  6. court — of law
  7. bore — to drill
  8. court — for sport
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. net — after costs
  14. pop — to visit
  15. present — the time now
  16. content — the amount
  17. key — in music
  18. present — a gift
  19. court — of a king
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pop — soda
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — there

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