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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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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 · kid · snap · drill · bound · pitch · stock · bowl

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bound — tied together
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pitch — completely
  8. drill — army training
  9. kid — child
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bound — certain
  15. stock — goods
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. kid — to tease
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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