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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: bass · date · pitcher · lean · trunk · fork · row · pit

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fork — in a road
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. date — the fruit
  13. lean — thin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pit — a hole
  23. row — a line
  24. trunk — of a car

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