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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · cold · pitch · bulb · key · mouse · bowl · bank

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — ground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cold — an illness
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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