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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: chest · fine · bulb · tube · pitcher · saw · season · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — the underground
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tube — a container
  23. chest — a box
  24. bay — a horse colour

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