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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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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bank — for money
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mark — a trace
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cue — a hint
  24. squash — the sport

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