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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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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: pitcher · cell · game · toast · mark · racket · bulb · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — a match
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. toast — bread
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pitcher — a jug

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