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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: plane · jam · pitch · cue · bear · march · net · bulb

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. net — in sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cue — a hint
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — after costs
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — for pool
  17. march — music
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. net — for catching
  21. march — the month
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bear — the animal

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