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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — to crush
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. date — the fruit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. sharp — clever
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bulb — for light
  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