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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. season — in sport
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. ball — a dance
  9. content — happy
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. content — the amount
  18. season — of the year
  19. wake — a trail
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. scale — for weighing

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