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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: net · staff · bass · season · pitch · bulb · rash · fork

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. net — in sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — low music
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — completely
  24. net — after costs

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