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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 116 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: dip · pitcher · drill · cell · club · mug · craft · bass

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. club — for dancing
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mug — a face
  9. drill — army training
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mug — a cup
  20. craft — boats
  21. club — for golf
  22. mug — to rob
  23. club — a group
  24. dip — to sink

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