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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
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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: pitcher · bark · lash · content · pitch · rush · race · face

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rush — hurry
  15. race — a contest
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. face — part of the head
  21. race — the arms race
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. race — humankind

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