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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: pitcher · ruler · scale · bulb · tear · racket · bay · wake

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tear — to rip
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wake — before a funeral

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