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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: pitch · bound · jam · spring · bulb · ground · scale · rest

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — the earth
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pitch — completely
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — in music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rest — a break
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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