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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. march — the month
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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