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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.

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: bulb · pitch · fan · mouse · ground · season · racket · perch

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. season — of the year
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — in sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mouse — for a computer

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