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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: fan · sharp · cap · bulb · rush · club · season · pitcher

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — hurry
  6. season — in sport
  7. club — a group
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. club — for golf
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rush — to hurry

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