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

Word bank: object · sharp · ruler · stick · pitch · squash · jam · fall

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. object — an aim
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — to crush
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — a thing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fall — the season
  23. squash — the sport
  24. object — to protest

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