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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 · sharp · foot · straw · content · bowl · firm · pitch

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. content — happy
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. firm — a company
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. foot — a measure
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. firm — decided
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitch — completely
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. content — the amount
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. firm — steady

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