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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 116 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: firm · pitcher · mate · bulb · ground · chair · bat · nail

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — to breed
  10. firm — a company
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ground — a position
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. bulb — of a plant

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