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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 116 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: pitch · stand · content · bank · perch · bay · fine · wax

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. content — happy
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fine — all right
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bank — for money
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fine — a penalty

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