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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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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: cabinet · fine · stand · rock · pitch · hand · can · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rock — music
  3. hand — help
  4. rock — a stone
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fine — all right
  10. pitch — completely
  11. hand — in cards
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. hand — part of the body
  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