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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. content — the amount
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. board — a committee
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. content — happy
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. firm — steady
  19. board — to get on
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitch — a sports field

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