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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — in sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. squash — the sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. net — after costs
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pit — in a race

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