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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: wave · pitch · squash · bowl · saw · bore · ground · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. squash — the sport
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. ground — a position
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — to drill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pitch — completely
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. content — happy
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ground — the earth

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