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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: season · rule · mug · pitch · bulb · kick · rash · dip

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. season — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — in football
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mug — a face
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bulb — for light
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rash — a series
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mug — to rob

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