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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: bulb · spell · pitcher · cell · last · deal · fine · pass

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. last — finally
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spell — magic
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — final
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — letters
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. last — to go on
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fine — all right
  24. deal — a big deal

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