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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 120 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 · stick · can · pitch · mate · rest · mouse · lean

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. can — a tin
  10. content — happy
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. content — the amount
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lean — thin
  24. mouse — the animal

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