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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. bulb — for light
  3. pit — a hole
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — in a race
  8. staff — employees
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. tube — a container
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to tire
  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