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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: jam · pit · toast · fall · arm · pop · pitcher · track

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. track — a path
  4. pit — in a race
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. track — a song
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — to keep track
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fall — the season
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pop — soda

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