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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: saw · fine · leaves · pitcher · pitch · content · mate · rash

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — all right
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mate — a partner
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rash — hasty
  15. content — happy
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rash — a series
  18. mate — a friend
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. content — the amount
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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