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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: pitcher · fan · court · fall · pass · bass · bay · lash

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fall — the season
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. court — of law
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pass — a permit

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