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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spring — of water
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — happy
  8. fork — in a road
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. can — to be able to
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wax — to grow
  20. content — the amount
  21. spring — the season
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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