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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: bulb · net · lie · spring · charge · bass · leaves · pitch

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pitch — completely
  3. charge — a price
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spring — the season
  7. bass — low music
  8. charge — in control
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bass — the fish
  16. net — after costs
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — in sport
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. net — for catching
  24. leaves — of a tree

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