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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · temple · sharp · jam · pitch · fork · spring · wave

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. spring — a coil
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spring — the season
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spring — of water
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bulb — for light
  24. jam — a tight spot

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