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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: toast · deal · field · row · pitcher · chair · bulb · mouse

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. field — for sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. row — to paddle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. row — a line
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. field — farmland
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. field — a subject
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. deal — to handle
  20. toast — bread
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chair — to sit on

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