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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. content — the amount
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitch — completely
  10. content — happy
  11. row — a line
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rule — government
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rule — a law
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. row — to paddle

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