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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pitch — completely
  5. current — happening now
  6. net — after costs
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — electric
  9. ground — crushed
  10. current — of water
  11. ground — the earth
  12. march — the month
  13. ground — a position
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. march — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. plane — in geometry

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