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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
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: pitcher · bass · file · bowl · date · can · kid · dip

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bass — low music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kid — child
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. file — a tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. date — the fruit
  18. can — a tin
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bass — the fish

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