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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mug — a face
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. swing — music
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. key — the most important part
  8. content — happy
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bank — for money
  11. mine — for digging
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bank — for money
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pitch — completely
  24. content — the amount

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