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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 · jam · charge · bat · wake · pitch · season · field

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. field — for sport
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — a price
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. charge — in control
  13. field — a subject
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitch — completely
  16. field — farmland
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. season — of the year
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. season — in sport

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