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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. content — the amount
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rest — a break
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to click
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rest — what's left
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pop — music
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pop — soda
  21. content — happy
  22. pitch — completely
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mug — a face

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