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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pop — music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. content — happy
  24. fan — a supporter

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