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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 · can · pitcher · court · pass · field · net · row

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. bulb — for light
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — a line
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. can — a tin
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. field — a subject
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — in sport
  24. can — to be able to

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