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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. hand — in cards
  3. content — the amount
  4. race — the arms race
  5. content — happy
  6. wake — a trail
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. race — humankind
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fan — to cool the air

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