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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. row — to paddle
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — in control
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. row — a line
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. roll — a list
  19. kick — in football
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bass — low music
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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