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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: pitcher · key · mark · net · squash · prune · bulb · hide

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. squash — to crush
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. net — for catching
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — in music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — the most important part
  22. net — in sport
  23. key — for a lock
  24. net — after costs

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