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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bank — of a river

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