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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: wind · pitch · pound · foot · content · mug · rule · dip

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rule — government
  3. foot — a measure
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. content — the amount
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wind — moving air
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — a law
  20. content — happy
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — a face

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