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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: stick · content · spell · pitcher · drill · tear · foot · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. drill — army training
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spell — letters
  8. tear — from crying
  9. content — happy
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spell — magic
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — the tool
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. content — the amount
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. spell — a short time
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. drill — a practice
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tear — to rip
  24. content — videos and posts

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