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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: hide · content · perch · rule · pitch · lean · bank · ball

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — a law
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ball — a great time
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. bank — for money
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. content — happy
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lean — thin
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ball — a dance

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