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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 120 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 · saw · mark · cap · land · drill · pitcher · bulb

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cap — of ice
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. land — to come down
  8. bulb — for light
  9. drill — the tool
  10. land — a country
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. drill — army training
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. land — ground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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