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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. content — the amount
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a tool
  9. cell — in biology
  10. content — happy
  11. band — a music group
  12. swing — music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. swing — in golf
  17. file — a document
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a ring
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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