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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: leaves · roll · jam · bound · racket · rush · pop · pitch

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pop — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. roll — a list
  10. pop — to visit
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. roll — a cake
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rush — hurry
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pop — soda
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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