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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 116 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: wake · key · ball · pound · face · pitcher · cabinet · bulb

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pound — a weight
  8. key — in music
  9. wake — a trail
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ball — a great time
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. face — to confront
  24. ball — a dance

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