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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. content — the amount
  4. pit — a hole
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spring — of water
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pit — in a race
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. content — happy
  15. spring — the season
  16. face — to confront
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitch — completely
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spring — a coil
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — part of the body

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