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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: lean · tube · content · cue · pitch · toast · foot · shower

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. shower — to wash
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — a measure
  9. toast — bread
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — the underground
  12. shower — rain
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lean — thin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cue — a signal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. content — videos and posts
  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