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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · game · staff · racket · pitcher · bank · ball · hide

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lie — to recline
  8. staff — employees
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — a stick
  12. game — a match
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ball — a round shape

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