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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. march — music
  3. content — happy
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. march — the month
  6. pitch — completely
  7. kick — in football
  8. firm — a company
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. firm — decided
  12. content — the amount
  13. scale — in music
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. march — the month
  19. firm — steady
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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