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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 116 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: tear · bark · saw · net · suit · safe · bulb · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. net — in sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. suit — clothes
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — to shout
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bulb — for light
  22. net — after costs
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. net — for catching

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