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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.

Words on the sheet
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 · stick · bass · field · pitch · fork · object · can

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. field — for sport
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. field — farmland
  9. fork — in a road
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. object — a thing
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bass — low music
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — to protest
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bass — the fish
  23. field — a subject
  24. object — an aim

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