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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: bulb · pitcher · mark · season · kick · hand · cabinet · ruler

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. kick — in football
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. season — of the year

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