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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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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: content · spring · fork · rock · tube · present · pitch · mark

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitch — completely
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spring — a coil
  6. content — happy
  7. rock — music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. tube — a container
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. content — the amount
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. spring — of water
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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