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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.

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: pit · file · bulb · fan · pitch · stem · straw · net

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — in sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pit — in a race
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. file — a document
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. file — a tool
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fan — a supporter

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