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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. club — for golf
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. deal — to handle
  9. content — happy
  10. lean — to bend
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. club — a group
  16. content — the amount
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — thin
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bat — the animal
  24. club — for dancing

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