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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · hide · bulb · club · squash · pit · pitcher · row

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. club — a group
  12. squash — to crush
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — a tool
  21. row — a line
  22. bulb — for light
  23. club — for dancing
  24. hide — animal skin

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