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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: drill · mouse · net · bulb · mug · pitcher · snap · fan

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mug — a face
  9. net — in sport
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. snap — to click
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. net — after costs
  19. drill — army training
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — for catching
  24. mouse — the animal

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