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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: swing · content · jam · cabinet · pitch · pop · straw · bore

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pop — music
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. content — the amount
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitch — completely
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pitch — a sports field

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