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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: game · rock · ball · bat · trunk · foot · press · lie

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. press — newspapers
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. game — a match
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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