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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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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: hand · jam · foot · nail · content · lie · fine · pitch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. content — happy
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fine — all right
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitch — completely
  21. hand — help
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. hand — in cards
  24. content — the amount

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