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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: cabinet · jam · fall · bank · pop · sharp · pitch · spell

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bank — for money
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fall — the season
  8. spell — a short time
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pop — soda
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pop — music
  24. pitch — completely

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