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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pop — soda
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. file — a tool
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mug — to rob
  12. board — to get on
  13. mug — a face
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pop — music
  17. hand — in cards
  18. board — a committee
  19. content — the amount
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — help
  22. content — happy
  23. file — a document
  24. board — a flat piece

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