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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ground — a position
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. content — the amount
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ground — crushed
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ground — the earth
  17. race — a contest
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. content — happy
  24. row — a line

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