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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: bay · jam · spell · stand · kid · prune · pass · pitch

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. spell — letters
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spell — a short time
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kid — child
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spell — magic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kid — to tease
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. jam — in traffic

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