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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kick — in football
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mug — a cup
  9. press — to push
  10. ground — a position
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mug — to rob
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bulb — for light
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ground — the earth
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mug — a face
  24. rush — a thrill

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