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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. firm — steady
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. content — the amount
  9. firm — decided
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. firm — a company
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. press — to push
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to click
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — a publisher
  24. content — happy

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