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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · bass · last · fork · bear · root · safe · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. last — to go on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bass — low music
  11. last — finally
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. last — final
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. leaves — of a tree

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