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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: lie · arm · pop · content · pitch · current · march · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. march — the month
  3. pop — music
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. current — of water
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — electric
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. march — music
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. march — the month
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pop — to visit
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. current — happening now
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pop — soda
  24. arm — part of the body

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