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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: ball · bulb · pitcher · shower · plane · key · club · pass

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pass — a permit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ball — a great time
  11. key — in music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. club — a group
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ball — a dance

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