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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.

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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 · nail · plane · hand · racket · stand · pitcher · pop

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. nail — for a hammer

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