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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 · net · lie · shower · charge · mine · fine · bulb

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fine — all right
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitch — completely
  10. charge — electricity
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. net — in sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. shower — rain
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fine — a penalty

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