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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: bass · can · pitcher · mug · date · spell · trunk · wound

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. date — the fruit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — letters
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spell — magic
  13. mug — to rob
  14. can — a tin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bass — the fish
  17. can — a tin
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. spell — a short time
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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