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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · foot · firm · pitch · content · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitch — completely
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chest — of your body
  11. firm — a company
  12. chest — a box
  13. tear — from crying
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. tear — from crying

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