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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: bulb · wound · bear · straw · pitcher · game · current · suit

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. current — electric
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wound — an injury
  14. suit — to fit
  15. game — wild animals
  16. suit — in cards
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. current — of water
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. straw — a straw man
  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