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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pop — music
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — to recline
  10. last — to go on
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — final
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. last — finally
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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