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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: cap · foot · land · pitch · toast · squash · jam · pitcher

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. squash — to crush
  9. land — a country
  10. squash — the sport
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. land — to come down
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. foot — a measure
  23. land — ground
  24. cap — of ice

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