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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. content — happy
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. content — the amount
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — to wash

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