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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: bore · hand · ruler · ground · mine · pitcher · object · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ground — the earth
  14. object — an aim
  15. ground — a position
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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