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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: foot · ball · object · sharp · cap · kid · racket · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kid — child
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. object — a thing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — a measure
  12. object — an aim
  13. ball — a dance
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. sharp — clever
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. object — to protest

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