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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: pitch · object · bowl · band · pitcher · spring · bulb · mouse

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. object — an aim
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. spring — of water
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a ring
  23. object — to protest
  24. band — a music group

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