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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. content — the amount
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — thin
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. board — to get on
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pop — to visit
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. board — a committee
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. season — in sport
  24. content — happy

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