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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. club — for dancing
  7. content — the amount
  8. mug — a face
  9. club — for golf
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. club — a group
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. content — happy
  15. row — to paddle
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mug — a cup
  18. row — a line

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