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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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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 · bear · pitch · mate · cue · ball · bay · wave

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. content — the amount
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mate — a friend
  19. content — happy
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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