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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · bulb · staff · pitch · kid · scale · lash · field

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitch — completely
  5. scale — size or range
  6. field — a subject
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — in music
  9. staff — employees
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pop — soda
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kid — child
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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