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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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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: saw · mate · bulb · degree · pitcher · cue · hand · bank

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hand — in cards
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. degree — temperature
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. hand — help
  23. bank — for money
  24. bulb — of a plant

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