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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: net · wax · nail · bulb · stick · pitch · pop · content

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — for catching
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pop — music
  11. net — after costs
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — happy
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. nail — for a hammer

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