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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: pitcher · bass · date · fine · wave · calf · cue · bulb

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. fine — all right
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cue — a signal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cue — a hint
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wave — of the sea

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