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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: net · staff · bass · season · pitch · bulb

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. net — for catching
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bass — the fish
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitch — completely
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. staff — employees
  9. bass — low music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. season — of the year
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — in sport
  18. net — after costs

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