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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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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. race — humankind
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — completely
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wound — an injury
  10. race — the arms race
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fall — to drop
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. kick — in football
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. race — a contest
  22. content — happy
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. kick — a thrill

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