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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. content — the amount
  3. chest — a box
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chest — of your body
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. chest — of your body
  14. content — happy
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bank — for money

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