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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 sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. content — happy
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stand — to bear
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wind — moving air
  18. swing — music
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. content — the amount
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wind — to turn a key

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