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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chest — a box
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mug — a cup
  10. firm — decided
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. court — for sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. content — the amount
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bass — the fish
  18. court — of a king
  19. mug — to rob
  20. content — happy
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bass — low music
  23. mug — a face
  24. court — of law

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