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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · content · spring · present · charge · lean · squash · mate

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. charge — a price
  3. content — the amount
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. squash — to crush
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. pitch — completely
  12. content — happy
  13. spring — of water
  14. squash — the sport
  15. present — there
  16. spring — the season
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spring — a coil

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