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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
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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 · can · net · pop · lash · fan · land

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. can — a tin
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pop — to visit
  7. net — in sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. can — a tin
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. net — for catching
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitch — completely
  24. land — to come down

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