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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: fan · pound · land · pitcher · stand · mouse · bulb · lash

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — ground
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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