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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · ball · perch · racket · fall · lie · jam · hand

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — help
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lie — to recline
  9. perch — the fish
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. field — for sport
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. hand — in cards
  17. field — a subject
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. field — farmland
  24. ball — a dance

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