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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 · mark · drill · wake · tube · ground · jam · bass

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bass — the fish
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. tube — a container
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ground — a position
  11. bass — low music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — army training
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. drill — the tool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. ground — crushed

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