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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · foot · mouse · pitch · spell · squash · bore · content

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — completely
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. foot — a measure
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spell — letters
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. land — to come down
  21. bore — to drill
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. bore — to tire

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