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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: content · hide · roll · pit · present · straw · march · pitcher

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. roll — a list
  3. present — a gift
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. present — the time now
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. march — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. content — the amount
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pit — in a race
  16. march — the month
  17. present — there
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. content — happy
  24. roll — on a roll

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