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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: pitcher · plane · deal · bass · pop · chair · calf · land

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bass — the fish
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pop — music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bass — low music
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chair — a leader
  21. land — a country
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. calf — of the leg

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