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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · drill · dip · content · sharp · cap · lie · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — a lid
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — to sink
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ball — a great time
  7. drill — the tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. content — happy
  17. drill — army training
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cap — of ice
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. sharp — clever

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