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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pitch — completely
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lie — to recline
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. content — the amount
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. content — happy
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — to sink
  24. face — part of the head

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