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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pop — to visit
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bass — low music
  7. pop — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. charge — in control
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. charge — a price
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. charge — electricity
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — a series
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rash — hasty
  24. tube — the underground

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