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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. present — a gift
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. content — happy
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. present — there
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. present — the time now

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