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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · degree · charge · content · net · lean · tear

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lean — to bend
  5. net — for catching
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — a price
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitch — completely
  10. net — after costs
  11. bulb — for light
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. net — in sport
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. degree — temperature

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