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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
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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: bear · wave · dip · jam · fine · march · pitcher · bank

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. march — the month
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. march — music
  5. fine — all right
  6. bank — for money
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. march — the month
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fine — high quality
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — to sink

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