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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
468
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 · kick · dip · bowl · track · swing · lie · pitcher

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. swing — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — in football
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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