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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: bay · file · wound · pitcher · bulb · pound · drill · mouse

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. file — a tool
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. drill — army training
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. file — a document
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wound — an injury
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wound — an injury

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