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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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468
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: jam · pitch · cold · fine · snap · charge · can · row

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. cold — not warm
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. charge — in control
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. charge — a price
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — high quality
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitch — completely
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. can — to be able to
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fine — all right
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to click
  23. row — to paddle
  24. jam — a tight spot

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