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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — to recline
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. content — the amount
  9. chair — a leader
  10. content — happy
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. current — electric
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. current — of water
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. current — happening now
  24. stand — on your feet

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