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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: club · pitch · season · wave · cap · bulb · ground · bay

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitch — completely
  3. season — in sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — of the year
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. club — for golf
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. ground — a position
  22. club — a group
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cap — a lid

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