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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. last — final
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. last — finally
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. branch — a division
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. last — to go on
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. toast — bread
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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