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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: ground · tube · coach · bulb · fine · deal · pitcher · face

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. face — part of the head
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — a position
  11. face — to confront
  12. ground — crushed
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ground — the earth
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. tube — a container
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. tube — the underground

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