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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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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: racket · bear · content · cap · object · wound · pitcher · pitch

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — to protest
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — an aim
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. object — a thing
  11. pitch — completely
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. content — the amount
  17. cap — of ice
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — happy
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cap — a lid

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