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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bound — certain
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. shower — rain
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ball — a great time
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bound — obliged
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ball — a dance
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. snap — to click

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