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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: date · stand · mouse · ball · season · content · nail · pitch

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. content — happy
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ball — a dance
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mouse — the animal

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