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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. last — to go on
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — finally
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cap — a hat
  17. last — final
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. march — music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. march — the month
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. march — the month

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