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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. file — a tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ground — the earth
  7. file — a document
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. content — the amount
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. content — happy

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