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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. content — happy
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. plane — a tool
  13. game — a match
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. content — the amount
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. game — wild animals

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