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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 · net · cell · wake · mark · cap · fine · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mark — a grade
  6. net — after costs
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cell — in biology
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cap — a lid
  17. net — in sport
  18. fine — high quality
  19. can — a tin
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fine — all right
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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