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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chip — for betting
  4. season — of the year
  5. chip — to eat
  6. season — in sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — a position
  9. net — for catching
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — after costs
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. net — in sport

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