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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 · tube · season · net · charge · nail · bulb · mark

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a grade
  7. charge — a price
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mark — a trace
  14. season — in sport
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. season — of the year
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. net — for catching

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