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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: wax · pitcher · ground · suit · track · drill · land · bulb

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  3. land — to come down
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. land — a country
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. suit — in cards
  14. land — ground
  15. track — a song
  16. suit — to fit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. track — a path
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wax — to grow
  22. suit — clothes
  23. ground — a position
  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