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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: hand · jam · bulb · pitch · pitcher · plane · cap · lie

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cap — a hat
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. hand — help
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. plane — an aircraft

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