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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: hide · rush · pitcher · rest · content · track · pit · bay

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rest — a break
  12. track — a song
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. content — happy
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — a path
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. track — to keep track

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