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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: rule · bound · fine · jam · wax · fan · pitch · chest

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rule — government
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chest — a box
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — all right
  24. bound — certain

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