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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. object — to protest
  6. content — the amount
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fine — all right
  13. object — a thing
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. file — a line of people
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. content — happy
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. band — a music group
  23. object — an aim
  24. fine — high quality

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