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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: rule · bay · stem · mark · mine · content · pitch · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — government
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rule — a law
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. content — happy
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pitch — a sports field

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