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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pop — music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — a short time
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spell — letters
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pop — to visit
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bound — certain
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pop — soda
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mate — a friend

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