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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: content · fine · object · pitcher · pit · kick · tear · toast

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. object — a thing
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. content — the amount
  11. object — to protest
  12. kick — in football
  13. fine — high quality
  14. tear — from crying
  15. content — happy
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — a hole
  20. object — an aim
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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