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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: bulb · nail · pitch · chip · can · jam · content · pitcher

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chip — for betting
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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