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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: stand · pitch · pass · ground · bulb · bark · rush · net

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. net — after costs
  6. ground — a position
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — in sport
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. net — for catching
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stand — for spectators

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