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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: mine · pop · mug · rest · pitcher · object · craft · pit

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. object — a thing
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — boats
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pit — in a race
  8. object — to protest
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mug — to rob
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mug — a face
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. object — an aim
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pop — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — a jug

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