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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: pitcher · dip · board · file · bay · jam · wake · saw

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. file — a line of people
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. file — a document
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. file — a tool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — a committee
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. board — to get on

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