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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: spell · roll · march · wake · object · jam · nail · pitch

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. spell — magic
  3. march — the month
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. march — the month
  7. object — to protest
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. spell — letters
  11. march — music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. object — a thing
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. object — an aim
  18. spell — a short time
  19. roll — a cake
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. roll — a list
  24. pitch — a sports field

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