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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. capital — money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. net — for catching
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. capital — a city
  23. can — to be able to
  24. capital — a big letter

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