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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 120 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — all right
  4. can — a tin
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — completely
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. capital — a city
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — money
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fine — high quality
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mouse — the animal

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