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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: band · pit · craft · can · fork · saw · bat · bass

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. band — a music group
  9. craft — a skill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — boats
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bass — low music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pit — in a race
  19. band — a ring
  20. bat — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. band — a rubber band

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