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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · march · content · press · pitch · fan · leaves · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pitch — completely
  3. content — happy
  4. kid — child
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. press — a publisher
  9. march — the month
  10. wound — an injury
  11. press — to push
  12. march — the month
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. march — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. content — the amount
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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