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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. march — the month
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pass — a permit
  18. march — the month
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bulb — for light
  24. jam — in traffic

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