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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: cold · pitcher · leaves · jam · mate · pit · ball · arm

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a great time
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ball — a dance
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mate — a partner
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cold — not warm
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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