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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: nail · can · fall · jam · season · pitcher · toast · bass

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. can — a tin
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fall — to drop
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bass — the fish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. season — in sport
  20. fall — the season
  21. can — to be able to
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — low music
  24. toast — bread

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