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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. mate — a partner
  7. content — happy
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. content — the amount
  20. rock — music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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