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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: key · bay · pitcher · kick · trunk · bulb · ground · squash

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. squash — to crush
  13. key — in music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ground — the earth

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