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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · bulb · face · can · pitch · content · present · race

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. present — a gift
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — a grade
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. present — there
  12. pitch — completely
  13. can — a tin
  14. content — happy
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. can — a tin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — part of the head
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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