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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rock — music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — completely
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. foot — a measure

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