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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: wake · nail · pitcher · staff · bound · charge · jam · clip

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bound — obliged
  6. charge — a price
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. clip — a video
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wake — a trail
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bound — certain
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. staff — employees

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