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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.

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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. season — of the year
  3. face — to confront
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cell — a phone
  9. firm — decided
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. firm — a company
  15. pit — a hole
  16. content — happy
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. content — the amount
  22. cell — in biology
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pit — in a race

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