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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.

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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: craft · ball · net · rock · foot · ground · lie · content

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. craft — boats
  3. content — the amount
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a dance
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rock — a stone
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. content — happy
  11. foot — a measure
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. net — after costs
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rock — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a great time
  24. net — in sport

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