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

Word bank: lie · club · stick · bay · ball · racket · wind · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. ball — a great time
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a dance
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wind — moving air
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lie — to recline
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. band — a music group
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. racket — a loud noise

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