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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. land — to come down
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — ground
  5. pop — soda
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. current — happening now
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — of water
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pop — music
  16. current — electric
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitch — completely
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. toast — bread
  21. kick — in football
  22. land — a country
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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