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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 116 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: mark · mouse · shower · kid · pitcher · bulb · wave · court

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bulb — for light
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. court — for sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. kid — child
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. shower — rain
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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