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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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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 · content · racket · charge · straw · ruler

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. content — happy
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. charge — in control
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pitch — completely
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. charge — a price
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. charge — electricity
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. content — the amount

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