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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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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 · court · pitcher · track · stand · pass · rule · saw

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. court — for sport
  5. rule — government
  6. saw — the tool
  7. court — of law
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rule — a law
  17. track — a path
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  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