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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wind — moving air
  5. content — happy
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. snap — to click
  8. can — a tin
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — music
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rock — a stone
  18. season — of the year
  19. wind — moving air
  20. season — in sport
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. ruler — for measuring

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