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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.

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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: pit · fine · swing · hide · pitcher · dip · band · can

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — high quality
  4. swing — to play on
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pit — in a race
  11. dip — to sink
  12. band — a ring
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. swing — music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — all right

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