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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: pitcher · clip · scale · stick · bulb · can · date · ball

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a dance
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. can — a tin
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a great time
  14. scale — in music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. clip — for paper
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — size or range

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