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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: net · jam · season · drill · bulb · rush · pound · fan

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — of the year
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — in sport
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. drill — a practice
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. drill — army training
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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