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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: rush · squash · pitcher · bay · bat · coach · net · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. net — after costs
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. squash — to crush
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — in sport
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bulb — for light

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