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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. content — happy
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. content — the amount
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. cold — an illness
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. club — for golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. club — a group
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cold — not warm
  24. tube — a container

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