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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: march · jam · coach · pitch · pass · fork · straw · dip

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. march — music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. march — the month
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. march — the month
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. dip — to sink

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