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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: pitcher · bat · jam · stand · fork · sharp · game · lean

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. game — a match
  7. bat — the animal
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lean — thin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. sharp — clever
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stand — to bear
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stand — for spectators

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