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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. content — the amount
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spell — letters
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. bass — low music
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to click
  19. lie — to recline
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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