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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: stand · content · pitch · court · scale · straw · net · bulb

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. net — for catching
  4. content — the amount
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. net — after costs
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. content — happy
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stand — to bear

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