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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 · field · dip · jam · bowl · mouse · capital · tube

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. dip — to sink
  4. field — for sport
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. capital — money
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. field — a subject
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. capital — a city
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. field — farmland
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tube — a container

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