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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: tear · fan · bowl · stick · pitch · jam · bulb · net

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. net — for catching
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — in sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. net — after costs
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — to roll
  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