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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bulb — for light
  7. roll — a list
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pass — a permit
  20. last — to go on
  21. ball — a great time
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. pass — to spend time

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