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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: chest · hand · squash · pitch · key · jam · can · mate

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chest — of your body
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. hand — in cards
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hand — help
  11. key — for a lock
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. key — in music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mate — a partner
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chest — a box
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. squash — the sport

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