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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: row · object · bass · jam · bore · pitcher · cabinet · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. object — to protest
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — after costs
  19. bass — low music
  20. object — a thing
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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