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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: pitcher · can · jam · rule · plane · fork · rush · lie

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lie — to recline
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fork — in a road
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rule — a law
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. can — to be able to
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. can — a tin
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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