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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 116 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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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: fine · kid · nail · pitcher · bay · bank · trunk · pit

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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 car
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pit — in a race
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — all right
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bank — for money
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — child
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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