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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: rock · suit · bulb · pitch · net · pitcher · kick · date

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pitch — completely
  4. net — for catching
  5. rock — a stone
  6. kick — in football
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rock — music
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. suit — clothes
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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