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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. kick — in football
  6. tube — the underground
  7. row — a line
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pitch — completely
  10. content — the amount
  11. row — to paddle
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tube — a container
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. sharp — clever
  17. shower — to wash
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. content — happy
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. shower — rain

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