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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: mark · pitch · dip · present · foot · hide · content · march

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitch — completely
  3. dip — to sink
  4. content — the amount
  5. present — the time now
  6. march — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. march — the month
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. content — happy
  13. present — there
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. foot — a measure
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. foot — the bottom

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