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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. suit — in cards
  3. sharp — clever
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tube — a container
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. suit — clothes
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tube — the underground

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