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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 120 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: bore · stand · bulb · game · chip · craft · pitcher · club

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. game — wild animals
  8. club — a group
  9. chip — for betting
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. craft — boats
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stand — to bear
  15. game — a match
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. club — for golf
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bore — to drill
  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