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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
468
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: hide · stick · mate · land · bass · can · object · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — low music
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. object — to protest
  17. land — to come down
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. land — ground
  20. object — an aim
  21. land — a country
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. object — a thing
  24. mate — to breed

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