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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. firm — decided
  5. hand — in cards
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. club — for golf
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitch — completely
  13. shower — rain
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. firm — a company
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. club — for dancing
  20. firm — steady
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — of the year
  24. hand — help

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