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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. content — the amount
  4. game — wild animals
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bound — certain
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. content — happy
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bound — tied together
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. game — a match

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