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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. row — to paddle
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. cue — for pool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. row — a line
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. season — in sport
  17. pitch — completely
  18. season — of the year
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rock — music
  24. content — the amount

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