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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: field · spell · pitch · lash · bank · jam · cap · stick

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bank — of a river
  3. field — a subject
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. spell — a short time
  6. field — farmland
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitch — completely
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. field — for sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bank — for money

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