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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — completely
  4. content — happy
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. firm — steady
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. staff — a stick
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fall — to drop
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — decided
  17. content — the amount
  18. firm — a company
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. staff — employees
  21. fall — the season
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fall — to drop

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