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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 · bank · deal · swing · ground · bulb · dip · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ground — a position
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. dip — to sink
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bank — for money
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bulb — for light
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a trace
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — a grade
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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