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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wake — a trail
  4. content — happy
  5. race — a contest
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. content — the amount
  8. rock — a stone
  9. race — humankind
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. firm — a company
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — steady
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. firm — decided
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rock — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rest — a break
  24. race — the arms race

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