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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cue · pit · pitcher · clip · chair · season · coach

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cue — for pool
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cue — a hint
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. clip — to cut
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cue — a signal
  18. season — in sport
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pit — a hole
  22. clip — a video
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. clip — for paper

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