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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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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: content · pitch · rock · season · kick · rest · mug · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. kick — in football
  3. content — the amount
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. season — in sport
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pitch — completely
  12. content — happy
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — music
  16. season — of the year
  17. mug — a face
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mug — a cup
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rest — a break
  22. row — a line
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. content — videos and posts

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