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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: club · can · fork · mate · file · content · rock · pitch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rock — a stone
  4. content — the amount
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. club — for golf
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. club — a group
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rock — music
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pitch — completely
  22. content — happy
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fork — to eat with

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