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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. object — a thing
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. season — in sport
  7. object — to protest
  8. charge — a price
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — in control
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. object — an aim
  14. season — of the year
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bulb — for light

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