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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: stick · pitcher · pass · hand · mouse · land · bank · bass

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. land — to come down
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — help
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bass — the instrument

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