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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: can · club · pop · ground · lie · ball · bulb · content

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — for golf
  5. content — the amount
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ground — the earth
  9. club — a group
  10. ball — a dance
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ball — a great time
  14. can — to be able to
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pop — music
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pop — soda
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — to visit
  24. content — happy

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