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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 · mark · pitcher · key · pit · kid · cap · bank

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. content — happy
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bank — for money
  12. key — the most important part
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cap — a hat
  15. key — in music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. content — the amount
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — child
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bank — for money

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