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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: can · pitch · jam · rash · club · cap · root · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — of a word
  4. can — a tin
  5. club — for golf
  6. last — to go on
  7. can — to be able to
  8. root — the cause
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. club — a group
  11. cap — a hat
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. last — finally
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rash — a series
  17. root — of a plant
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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