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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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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 · fine · content · object · bay · arm · leaves · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitch — completely
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. content — happy
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. present — there
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. content — the amount
  16. present — a gift
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. leaves — to go away

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