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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: jam · pass · cap · pit · chair · straw · stem · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cap — a lid
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pit — in a race
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cap — of ice

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