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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 · net · pitch · fine · club · fan · roll · can

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. roll — a list
  3. net — after costs
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — for golf
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — high quality
  11. net — for catching
  12. fine — all right
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — a group
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. can — a tin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. club — for dancing
  24. roll — a cake

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