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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: court · pitcher · present · march · pit · net · bulb · drill

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — for sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. present — the time now
  6. drill — a practice
  7. net — in sport
  8. court — of law
  9. march — music
  10. present — there
  11. march — the month
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of a king
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. march — the month
  20. net — after costs
  21. present — a gift
  22. drill — army training
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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