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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: bat · toast · dip · chair · jam · court · pitcher · bulb

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of law
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. toast — bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bat — the animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. court — of a king
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — to sink
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chair — a leader

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