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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — a grade
  9. content — the amount
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. race — a contest
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rock — a stone
  21. craft — boats
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rock — music
  24. race — humankind

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