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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: pitcher · stand · pit · current · game · bulb · track · deal

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pit — a hole
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. current — of water
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. pit — in a race
  16. game — a match
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — a path
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. track — a song

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