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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. firm — steady
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lie — to recline
  10. race — humankind
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. capital — money
  13. can — to be able to
  14. firm — decided
  15. capital — a city
  16. firm — a company
  17. can — a tin
  18. race — a contest
  19. pop — soda
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. race — the arms race
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — an untruth

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