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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: pitch · spell · jam · pop · roll · rock · racket · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. spell — letters
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pop — music
  6. chair — a leader
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rock — music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. roll — a list
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — a short time
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pop — to visit
  22. spell — magic
  23. pop — soda
  24. racket — for tennis

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