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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: kid · jam · pitch · rock · row · rule · spring · can

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. row — to paddle
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. can — to be able to
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. kid — child
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rock — music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — a line
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spring — of water
  24. rule — a law

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