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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: stand · cabinet · bulb · wind · pitcher · row · deal · mark

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. row — a line
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bulb — for light
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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