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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
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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: rush · hand · pitcher · content · game · pop

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pop — to visit
  4. content — the amount
  5. game — a match
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hand — help
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. content — happy
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — to hurry

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