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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: jam · tube · lean · safe · bulb · club · mine · pitcher

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. club — a group
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — for golf
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. lean — thin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lean — to bend
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mine — for digging
  24. jam — in traffic

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