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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: wound · pitch · rest · dip · content · game · ball · bank

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a match
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. content — happy

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