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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 120 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: pitch · board · rest · lash · last · saw · content · fine

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rest — what's left
  4. content — the amount
  5. board — to get on
  6. rest — a break
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. saw — the tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — the tool
  21. last — final
  22. board — a committee
  23. last — finally
  24. content — videos and posts

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