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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. firm — a company
  8. content — the amount
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rush — hurry
  12. season — of the year
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — completely
  20. firm — decided
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rest — what's left
  23. content — happy
  24. firm — steady

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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