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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
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 · bay · bank · net · craft · pass · mark · last

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mark — a trace
  4. craft — boats
  5. net — for catching
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pass — a permit
  8. net — in sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. last — final
  11. mark — a grade
  12. last — finally
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. last — to go on
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bay — a horse colour

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