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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitch — completely
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. race — the arms race
  7. can — a tin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — to shout
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rule — a law
  14. content — the amount
  15. rule — government
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — happy
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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