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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pitch — completely
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. content — the amount
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. land — to come down
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. content — happy
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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