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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. file — a line of people
  8. content — the amount
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lean — to bend
  13. file — a tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. file — a document
  17. content — happy
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — to handle
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. deal — an agreement

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