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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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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: spell · content · cue · row · pitch · mate · leaves · cap

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. content — the amount
  3. spell — magic
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mate — to breed
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cap — a lid
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pitch — completely
  23. content — happy
  24. cap — of ice

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