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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: bulb · nail · ball · pitcher · straw · kid · charge · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. kid — child
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ball — a great time
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. firm — a company
  16. charge — electricity
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kid — to tease
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bulb — for light

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