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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: object · land · pitcher · mine · mug · date · key · cabinet

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. land — to come down
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. land — ground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. object — an aim
  12. mine — for digging
  13. land — a country
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. object — to protest
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mug — a cup
  21. key — in music
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mug — to rob
  24. object — a thing

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