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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. object — an aim
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. last — final
  13. pop — soda
  14. object — a thing
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. present — a gift
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. last — finally
  19. present — there
  20. object — to protest
  21. pop — to visit
  22. last — to go on
  23. pop — music
  24. present — the time now

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