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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 120 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: perch · mug · rule · pass · chest · content · stand · pitch

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rule — government
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mug — a face
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. content — the amount
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pass — a permit
  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