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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
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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: pitcher · current · prune · bowl · can · lie · land · date

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. can — a tin
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. current — of water
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — a country

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