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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: pitch · ground · jam · cabinet · track · band · fall · cue

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — a position
  8. cue — a signal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. band — a music group
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. track — a song
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitch — completely
  18. track — a path
  19. fall — the season
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. band — a ring
  24. cue — for pool

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