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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. content — happy
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. content — the amount
  10. race — a contest
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. race — humankind
  15. can — a tin
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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