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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — a container
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — certain
  10. saw — the tool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. toast — bread
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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