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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. game — wild animals
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mark — to pay attention

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