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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: race · bay · pitch · jam · deal · cap · stem · ball

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cap — a hat
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stem — to come from
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. race — humankind
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. race — the arms race
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ball — a great time
  21. race — a contest
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pitch — completely
  24. jam — in traffic

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