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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: bulb · pitch · object · craft · ground · hand · shower · wake

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ground — a position
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. craft — boats
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. shower — rain
  19. object — an aim
  20. ground — crushed
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wake — a trail
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. hand — help

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