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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pitch — completely
  8. row — a line
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. content — the amount
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. content — happy
  20. last — final
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. last — to go on
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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