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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: field · staff · can · bulb · pitcher · key · deal · wound

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. field — for sport
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — farmland
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — an injury
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — in music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. field — a subject
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — of a plant

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