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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mug — to rob
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mug — a face
  6. firm — a company
  7. face — part of the head
  8. content — happy
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. face — to confront
  11. season — of the year
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mug — a cup
  16. firm — steady
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. content — the amount
  19. bear — the animal
  20. season — in sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — decided
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pitch — completely

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