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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — to rob
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bulb — for light
  9. scale — in music
  10. mug — a cup
  11. clip — a video
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — employees
  17. clip — for paper
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mug — a face
  24. staff — a stick

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