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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: bowl · fine · firm · net · leaves · bulb · spring · pitcher

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. spring — the season
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. firm — steady
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. firm — decided
  8. net — in sport
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — a company
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — all right
  19. net — after costs
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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