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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: pitcher · fall · key · jam · race · wave · prune · cap

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cap — of ice
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — the most important part
  13. race — a contest
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fall — to drop
  17. race — humankind
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. key — in music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. race — the arms race
  24. prune — to trim

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