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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: cap · season · chip · jam · pitch · bowl · tube · pound

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. tube — a container
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cap — a hat
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. season — of the year
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — the underground
  17. season — in sport
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pitch — completely

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