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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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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: court · pitch · can · bark · temple · tube · jam · plane

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. court — for sport
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — the underground
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. court — of a king
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. court — of law
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. temple — side of the head

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