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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: tube · kid · craft · drill · pitcher · court · current · bulb

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. current — electric
  3. court — of a king
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. court — of law
  7. drill — the tool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. current — happening now
  13. tube — a container
  14. craft — boats
  15. kid — to tease
  16. craft — a skill
  17. court — for sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — of water
  22. kid — child
  23. drill — army training
  24. tube — the underground

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