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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — in a road
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitch — completely
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. drill — army training
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. content — the amount
  18. drill — a practice
  19. content — happy
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bowl — to roll

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