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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. march — the month
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. suit — in cards
  6. staff — a stick
  7. object — a thing
  8. march — music
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bank — for money
  12. suit — to fit
  13. content — the amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — completely
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. object — to protest
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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