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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: field · current · game · jam · spell · kid · pitch · tube

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. spell — a short time
  4. field — for sport
  5. spell — magic
  6. field — a subject
  7. kid — child
  8. current — of water
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. tube — a container
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. spell — letters
  14. kid — to tease
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitch — completely
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. field — farmland
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. current — electric
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tube — the underground
  24. game — a match

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