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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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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: racket · pitcher · present · straw · cue · content · pit · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pit — a hole
  5. content — the amount
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. content — happy
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cue — for pool
  11. present — there
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — a hint
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — the time now
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pit — in a race
  24. present — a gift

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