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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 116 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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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 · pitch · wind · mate · bulb · saw · wave · cue

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wind — moving air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cue — for pool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — to breed
  21. content — the amount
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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