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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fine · content · pitcher · can · calf · squash · wave

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. can — a tin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — happy
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. fine — high quality
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — all right
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. can — a tin
  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