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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — a company
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. object — to protest
  9. firm — steady
  10. pitch — completely
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. firm — decided
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — to point toward
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. object — an aim
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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