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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. content — happy
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. content — the amount
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. shower — rain
  15. board — a committee
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. board — to get on

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