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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — a stone
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cell — a phone
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — music
  20. content — happy
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. content — the 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