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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bank — for money
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. chest — of your body
  12. content — the amount
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rest — a break
  16. rash — a series
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. chest — a box
  19. content — happy
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — what's left

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