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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: pitch · jam · swing · fork · snap · object · tear · mate

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. tear — from crying
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mate — a partner
  11. swing — in golf
  12. object — to protest
  13. mate — to breed
  14. swing — to play on
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. object — an aim
  17. fork — in a road
  18. object — a thing
  19. mate — a friend
  20. swing — music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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