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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. content — happy
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lean — thin
  17. content — the amount
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — a container
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wind — moving air
  24. staff — employees

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