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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: bulb · trunk · cap · plane · season · pitcher · squash · present

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. squash — the sport
  10. present — there
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. plane — a tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. season — in sport
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — of ice
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. squash — to crush
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — a hat

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