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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fine — high quality
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — a match
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fine — all right

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