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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · pit · jam · season · nail · charge · cue · rash

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. charge — a price
  4. cue — a hint
  5. charge — in control
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rash — a series
  14. season — in sport
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. season — of the year
  24. pound — to hit hard

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