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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. saw — the tool
  15. content — happy
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. content — the amount
  24. toast — bread

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