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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: pitch · racket · rash · pass · perch · spell · content · lie

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. content — the amount
  3. rash — hasty
  4. spell — magic
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lie — to recline
  8. content — happy
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — letters
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rash — a series
  24. pass — a permit

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