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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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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 · court · wound · scale · toast · wave · bowl · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — completely
  9. court — of law
  10. content — happy
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — of a king
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. court — for sport
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — in music

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