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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: lean · temple · game · bulb · bass · spring · pitch · press

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bass — the fish
  3. game — a match
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lean — thin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bass — low music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. press — a publisher
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. press — newspapers
  22. spring — the season
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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