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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: pass · content · cold · pitch · dip · rest · bear · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rest — a break
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cold — an illness
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pitch — completely
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pass — a permit
  12. content — happy
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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