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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 · rock · land · saw · wound · club · fan · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. land — to come down
  3. saw — the tool
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. club — for dancing
  10. land — ground
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — music
  13. club — for golf
  14. land — a country
  15. club — a group
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wound — an injury

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