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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chest — a box
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. board — a committee
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. board — to get on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. season — of the year
  24. content — happy

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