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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. squash — the sport
  8. chip — for betting
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chest — a box
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ball — a great time
  20. content — the amount
  21. toast — bread
  22. content — happy
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chest — of your body

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