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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. swing — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. roll — a cake
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. swing — to play on
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. can — a tin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. content — happy
  22. roll — a list
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pound — a weight

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