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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: bulb · ruler · pitcher · chair · tear · cap · cue · craft

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. craft — boats
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tear — from crying
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cap — a lid
  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