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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. march — the month
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — completely
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. key — for a lock
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. march — music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitch — a sports field

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