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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.

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: pitcher · band · chest · fine · bay · bulb · ground · snap

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chest — a box
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chest — of your body
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fine — all right
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fine — high quality
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bulb — for light

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