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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: march · rush · pitcher · wave · jam · deal · nail · bat

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. march — music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bat — the animal
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rush — hurry
  19. deal — to handle
  20. march — the month
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. deal — a big deal

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