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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: suit · present · swing · face · pitch · cap · content · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — music
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cap — of ice
  8. present — there
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. face — part of the head
  15. suit — in cards
  16. face — to confront
  17. swing — to play on
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — in golf
  21. present — a gift
  22. content — happy
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitch — completely

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