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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: tube · pitcher · hand · saw · last · deal · bear · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. deal — to handle
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hand — help
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bass — low music
  14. last — to go on
  15. tube — the underground
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. last — final
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. tube — a container
  24. bear — the animal

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