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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mug — a cup
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ground — a position
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — the earth
  14. scale — in music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mug — to rob
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bark — to shout
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. ground — crushed
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mug — a face

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