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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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 — completely
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spell — a short time
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — magic
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. content — the amount
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rash — a series
  23. fork — to eat with
  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