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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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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: toast · bore · content · wave · pitch · pound · capital · deal

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. capital — a city
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. capital — money
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. content — happy
  16. pitch — completely
  17. content — the amount
  18. bore — to drill
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bore — gave birth

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