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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: content · pop · date · pitch · fine · foot · jam · land

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. foot — a measure
  7. land — to come down
  8. fine — all right
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pitch — completely
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. land — ground
  20. date — the fruit
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pop — soda
  23. land — a country
  24. pop — music

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