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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 120 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: racket · bowl · charge · pitch · bulb · rock · pitcher · key

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. key — for a lock
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — in music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. charge — in control
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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