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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · fine · straw · pitch · band · content · cabinet · root

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fine — high quality
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. root — of a plant
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. root — the cause
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pitch — completely
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. band — a ring
  19. fine — all right
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. root — of a word
  24. band — a music group

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