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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: suit · saw · toast · key · shower · date · bulb · pitcher

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. suit — to fit
  5. date — the fruit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. shower — rain
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bulb — for light
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. suit — clothes
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. toast — bread
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — for a lock
  24. date — on the calendar

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