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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.

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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: pitcher · toast · bass · tube · bay · deal · stand · bank

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — of a river
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. toast — bread
  16. bass — low music
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tube — a container
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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