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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · lie · bulb · mark · fall · club · row · clip

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. club — a group
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. clip — a video
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lie — to recline
  21. club — for dancing
  22. clip — for paper
  23. club — for golf
  24. row — a line

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