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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. content — the amount
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. season — in sport
  13. vault — a safe
  14. season — of the year
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. content — happy
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitch — a sports field

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