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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: foot · wave · season · net · deal · pitch · cap · content

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cap — a lid
  8. net — after costs
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cap — a hat
  12. foot — a measure
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — for catching
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. content — the amount
  17. season — of the year
  18. content — happy
  19. cap — of ice
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. net — in sport
  24. content — videos and posts

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