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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: bulb · pitcher · nail · season · rash · mug · bat · saw

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. season — in sport
  12. bat — the animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mug — a face
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mug — a cup
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rash — a series

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