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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: bay · pitch · stick · spell · lash · pitcher · ruler · content

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. spell — letters
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spell — a short time
  15. content — the amount
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. content — happy
  21. spell — magic
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ruler — for measuring

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