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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 120 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: spring · scale · current · bulb · tube · pitch · present · kick

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. tube — the underground
  3. current — happening now
  4. spring — the season
  5. scale — in music
  6. current — of water
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spring — a coil
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pitch — completely
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. scale — size or range
  17. present — the time now
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. present — there
  20. kick — in football
  21. present — a gift
  22. tube — a container
  23. spring — of water
  24. current — electric

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