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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: last · bulb · pitcher · club · mouse · mate · bass · field

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. last — to go on
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — a group
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — a subject
  22. club — for golf
  23. last — final
  24. field — farmland

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