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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: can · lean · jam · pitch · hide · pit · bowl · wind

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. can — a tin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. lean — thin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pit — in a race
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lean — to bend
  23. can — a tin
  24. bowl — a football final

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