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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: season · wave · pitcher · bear · tear · net · can · track

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. net — for catching
  4. can — to be able to
  5. net — in sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — a tin
  16. net — after costs
  17. track — a path
  18. season — of the year
  19. bear — the animal
  20. track — a song
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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