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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to bend
  4. court — of a king
  5. content — the amount
  6. present — there
  7. content — happy
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. court — for sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lean — thin
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. present — a gift
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. court — of law
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. present — the time now

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