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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. game — a match
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. content — happy
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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