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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: ground · bulb · key · rock · pit · tube · stick · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pit — a hole
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — in music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — the earth
  10. tube — a container
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rock — music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ground — a position
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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