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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. clip — for paper
  6. can — to be able to
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. swing — music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lie — to recline
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. board — to get on
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — a committee
  22. swing — to play on
  23. sharp — clever
  24. can — a tin

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