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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · bay · pitcher · band · mug · prune · snap · net

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. net — in sport
  7. band — a ring
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mug — a face
  17. band — a music group
  18. snap — to click
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — for catching
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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