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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: bear · can · content · pitch · net · hide · march · staff

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. march — music
  4. content — happy
  5. pitch — completely
  6. content — the amount
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — a stick
  11. can — to be able to
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. bear — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — the month
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — employees

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