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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · key · date · jam · squash · kid · tube · capital

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. kid — to tease
  8. squash — to crush
  9. tube — a container
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. date — the fruit
  14. key — in music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. key — for a lock
  19. squash — the sport
  20. capital — a city
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. key — the most important part
  23. capital — money
  24. pitcher — a jug

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