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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: foot · club · fine · straw · jam · pitch · degree · bulb

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. club — for golf
  10. fine — all right
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bulb — for light
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pitch — completely
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. degree — an amount
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. straw — dry grass

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