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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: mine · pitch · bay · nail · craft · racket · cap · bulb

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bulb — for light
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cap — a lid
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitch — completely
  11. craft — boats
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. craft — a skill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cap — a hat
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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