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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · mug · pitcher · racket · kid · bulb · pit · bark

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. kid — child
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — to rob
  5. roll — a list
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pit — a hole
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pit — in a race
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bark — to shout
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bark — of a tree

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