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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 · pitch · object · pop · snap · roll · pass · land

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pop — music
  3. object — to protest
  4. roll — a list
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pop — soda
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. land — ground
  14. object — an aim
  15. pop — to visit
  16. roll — a cake
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. object — a thing
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pass — to spend time

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