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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.

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: stick · pitcher · racket · bulb · scale · file · bank · cold

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bank — for money
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a document
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. file — a line of people

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