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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 120 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: lie · saw · object · craft · tube · mouse · bass · pitcher

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — a thing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. object — to protest
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lie — to recline
  16. tube — a container
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. craft — boats
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. object — an aim
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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