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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: jam · arm · last · spring · pitch · coach · stick · spell

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. spell — letters
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spring — of water
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. spring — the season
  9. pitch — completely
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. last — to go on
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. last — final
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — finally
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — magic
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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