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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: ball · wake · rest · chair · toast · pitch · current · content

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rest — a break
  5. toast — bread
  6. current — electric
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. content — the amount
  10. wake — a trail
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rest — what's left
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rest — what's left
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. content — happy

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