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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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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: stem · content · saw · swing · pitch · wave · present · bore

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — there
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. content — the amount
  9. stem — to come from
  10. present — a gift
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bore — to tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. content — happy
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. present — the time now

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