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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.

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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: ball · pit · mug · band · spring · perch · suit · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spring — the season
  10. band — a music group
  11. mug — a face
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. band — a ring
  22. spring — of water
  23. pit — in a race
  24. suit — in cards

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