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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
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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: face · pitcher · trunk · stock · bass · dip · date · game

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. face — to confront
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. face — to point toward
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bass — the fish
  20. game — a match
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bass — low music
  23. stock — goods
  24. trunk — of a car

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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