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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: jam · rash · pitch · cap · fall · lean · swing · prune

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — music
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lean — thin
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rash — a series
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — completely
  24. jam — a tight spot

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