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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. band — a ring
  7. content — happy
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bear — the animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. band — a music group
  22. content — the amount
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lie — an untruth

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