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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: firm · pitcher · capital · tube · bulb · wound · mug · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — a leader
  5. firm — steady
  6. capital — money
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tube — a container
  15. mug — to rob
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mug — a face
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mug — a cup
  24. tube — in a tire

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