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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 116 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: bat · pitcher · cell · wound · bulb · fine · pass · ball

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fine — all right
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  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