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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: stick · season · chip · bulb · foot · pit · pitcher · cell

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chip — for betting
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. season — of the year
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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