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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitch — completely
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. row — a line
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. can — to be able to
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread

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