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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: lean · mug · stand · safe · drill · prune · content · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — a face
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lean — to bend
  6. content — the amount
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mug — a cup
  17. content — happy
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mug — to rob
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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