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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: land · bass · dip · fan · pit · calf · pitcher · bound

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bass — low music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. land — a country
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — obliged
  10. land — ground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bound — certain
  14. land — to come down
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — the fish
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — in a race
  24. calf — a young animal

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