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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · content · trunk · dip · mate · rock · last · stick

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. dip — to sink
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mate — a friend
  11. last — finally
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. content — happy
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. dip — to dunk

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