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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.

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: staff · pitch · root · net · straw · tube · key · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — in sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — the cause
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. key — for a lock
  13. root — of a word
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. tube — a container
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. key — in music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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