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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: spring · stock · bulb · bore · net · suit · pitch · fan

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stock — goods
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bulb — for light
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. net — for catching
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spring — of water
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stock — shares
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — the season
  23. net — after costs
  24. pitch — a sports field

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