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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — low music
  3. board — a committee
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. firm — decided
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — to get on
  11. content — the amount
  12. firm — steady
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. file — a tool
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wound — an injury
  18. firm — a company
  19. content — happy
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. file — a document
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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