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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 120 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: pitcher · squash · can · hide · mine · net · pass · track

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mine — for digging
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — after costs
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — a song
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. pass — a permit
  20. squash — the sport
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mine — an explosive

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