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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. kick — in football
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. land — to come down
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. land — ground
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to sink
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bass — the fish
  16. band — a music group
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. band — a ring
  21. season — in sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — of the year
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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