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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: pitch · content · bank · lean · staff · coach · straw · ball

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. staff — employees
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — thin
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. content — the amount
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lean — to bend
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ball — a great time
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ball — a dance
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitch — completely

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