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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
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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: last · toast · bound · squash · bulb · game · track · pitcher

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bulb — for light
  3. squash — the sport
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. track — to keep track
  9. toast — bread
  10. track — a song
  11. bound — certain
  12. last — final
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. squash — to crush
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. game — a match
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. last — finally
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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