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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · net · pitcher · bass · ruler · stick · file · cap

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. file — a document
  2. bass — low music
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. dip — to sink
  6. file — a tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — for catching
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — a lid
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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