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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.

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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: racket · pitcher · pitch · spring · bulb · trunk · object · wake

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — a trail
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spring — the season
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. spring — of water
  24. object — an aim

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