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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · ground · fan · track · pitcher · bay · tube · can

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — a container
  5. can — to be able to
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. track — a path
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. track — to keep track
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fan — a supporter

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