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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: dip · swing · wound · pitcher · bulb · fan · stand · bound

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — certain
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. swing — music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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