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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: suit · bulb · pitcher · chest · game · rule · bear · bank

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. bulb — for light
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chest — a box
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rule — government
  19. game — a match
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rule — a law

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