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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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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 · jam · straw · fork · last · fall · tube · bay

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitch — completely
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. last — final
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fall — to drop
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fall — to drop
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. jam — a tight spot

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