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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 124 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lean — thin
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. foot — a measure
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mark — a grade
  10. march — the month
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitch — completely
  13. content — the amount
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rest — what's left
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. content — happy
  24. march — music

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