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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: bulb · pitch · ground · cue · squash · face · drill · season

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. cue — a hint
  3. face — to point toward
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. ground — the earth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to confront
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ground — a position
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cue — for pool
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bulb — of a plant

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