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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — completely
  4. face — to confront
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — to eat
  10. content — happy
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mate — to breed
  20. content — the amount
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. face — to point toward

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