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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: bear · dip · wind · firm · roll · safe · pitch · content

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. firm — a company
  5. wind — moving air
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — the animal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. firm — steady
  15. bear — the animal
  16. roll — a list
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. firm — decided
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. roll — a cake

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