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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 116 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: pitch · spring · pop · face · trunk · mine · cabinet · bulb

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. spring — a coil
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pop — soda
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pop — to visit

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