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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ball — a dance
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stem — to come from
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. game — a match
  19. scale — in music
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stem — of a plant

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