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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mug — a face
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cold — an illness
  8. can — a tin
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. can — a tin
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mug — a cup
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bound — certain
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bulb — for light

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