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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. row — a line
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. content — the amount
  10. roll — a list
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pitch — completely
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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