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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · spring · content · wax · field · coach · rush · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rush — hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spring — of water
  16. content — the amount
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spring — the season
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — happy
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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