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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · staff · bulb · pit · content · pitch · pitcher · craft

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. object — to protest
  4. craft — boats
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — employees
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — the amount
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. content — happy
  17. object — an aim
  18. craft — a skill
  19. object — a thing
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pit — in a race
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitcher — a jug

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