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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: lie · toast · ball · march · sharp · net · bowl · wound

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — an injury
  6. march — the month
  7. net — after costs
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. toast — bread
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wound — an injury
  18. march — music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ball — a dance
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ball — a great time

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