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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ground — a position
  3. present — there
  4. content — the amount
  5. present — a gift
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — the earth
  11. content — happy
  12. mug — to rob
  13. current — happening now
  14. ball — a dance
  15. current — electric
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — of water
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mug — a cup
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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