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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — of ice
  10. toast — bread
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bound — certain
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person

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