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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: tear · fan · bass · prune · suit · spell · pitcher · nail

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — low music
  5. spell — magic
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tear — to rip
  8. spell — letters
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — to fit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. suit — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bass — the fish

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