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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. current — of water
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — the amount
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — for paper
  11. content — happy
  12. pitch — completely
  13. current — electric
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. current — happening now
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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