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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chest — a box
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. present — a gift
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chest — of your body
  16. march — the month
  17. chest — of your body
  18. march — the month
  19. present — the time now
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rest — a break
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. present — there
  24. march — music

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