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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: pitcher · staff · can · bulb · ground · plane · roll · face

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. roll — a list
  4. ground — a position
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. roll — a cake
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. plane — a tool
  16. can — to be able to
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ground — the earth
  23. face — to confront
  24. staff — employees

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