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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. firm — steady
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. firm — a company
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. firm — decided
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. content — the amount
  18. row — a line
  19. fine — all right
  20. content — happy
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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