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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.

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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 · ground · lash · bulb · content · coach · saw · season

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. ground — a position
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. net — for catching
  8. content — happy
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. net — in sport
  23. bulb — for light
  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