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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: spell · pitcher · pit · pitch · lash · content · present · bear

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. content — the amount
  4. spell — magic
  5. present — there
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spell — a short time
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — the time now
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. content — happy
  24. pit — in a race

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