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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. content — happy
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. content — the amount
  13. board — to get on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. degree — from a university
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. degree — an amount

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