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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · racket · pit · bear · net · jam · date · wound

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. net — for catching
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wound — an injury
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pit — in a race
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. date — the fruit
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wound — an injury
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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