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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: fork · net · file · game · wax · pitcher · jam · tube

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. file — a tool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. fork — in a road
  8. file — a line of people
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. file — a document
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — for catching
  14. wax — to grow
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. game — a match
  22. net — after costs
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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