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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: racket · season · deal · board · bulb · pitch · wind · file

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. file — a line of people
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. board — to get on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — completely
  15. file — a tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. board — a committee
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a document
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wind — moving air
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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