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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: bowl · bulb · trunk · tube · snap · court · bay · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. court — for sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of law
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. snap — to click
  18. tube — a container
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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