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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: fan · bound · sharp · jam · firm · pit · pitcher · spring

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bound — obliged
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pit — a hole
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. spring — a coil
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. firm — a company
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spring — the season
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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