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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. court — of a king
  3. content — the amount
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fall — to drop
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rash — a series
  9. court — of law
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rash — hasty
  14. key — in music
  15. fall — the season
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — happy
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. court — for sport
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fall — to drop

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