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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · land · mate · fan · pitcher · dip

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. land — a country
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mate — a partner
  10. land — to come down
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — ground
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fan — a supporter

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