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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: pass · bulb · rush · sharp · pitch · jam · file · cold

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bulb — for light
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rush — hurry
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bulb — of a plant

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