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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. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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. swing — to play on
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pound — a weight
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fork — in a road
  15. swing — music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. band — a ring
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. band — a music group
  21. rest — a break
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rest — what's left

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